Re-imagined Parable: The Wise and Foolish Builders
Jeremy worked on Wall Street. He was there early every morning, coffee and bagel in hand, ready to pour every ounce of energy into whatever challenges awaited him. He relished in the approval of his boss which masked a deep, undiagnosed loneliness. He stayed unnecessarily late, eating take out at his desk and finally made his way home to his luxury apartment building only to fall into bed for a few short hours before work called his name once again. He had time for nothing and no-one else. When his gnawing loneliness did finally surface, well, affection could be bought and money was no object. Work was his drug and he was an addict.
Lucy had been the prettiest girl in her small town high school. Popularity came easily, attention from guys was a breeze. Self confidence seemed to ooze from her pores and her life became fueled by the admiration of those around her. She moved to the big city to pursue a career in modeling and suddenly a jarring anxiety began to mark her days. Surrounded by the bold and the beautiful, her confidence fell into the shadows and every decision became a question of what would earn her the most attention. Before long she barely recognized herself. The older she got the more effort it required to make herself look effortless. The things that had once come so easily had now cost her a great deal in a currency no-one should have to spend.
Suzie and Matt met in freshman year. Their friendship quickly blossomed into romance and soon enough their personal happiness became completely dependent upon the other person. Before long they moved into together and got married and for a time life was even better than they had imagined. But after some years the inevitable seed of dissatisfaction began to take root. Maybe they needed hobbies, or new friends or a bigger apartment in a better city. Maybe he wasn’t the only dream she had. Maybe all of his needs would not be met in her. Walls went up. On good days they lived like friendly roommates. On bad days they argued and picked holes at each other and fell asleep wondering who the stranger was beside them.
The rains come, the floodwaters rise and the shimmering tower you have toiled over turns to rubble. The skillfully constructed castle in the sand; tall and proud in the summer sunlight dissolves into nothing when the first wave hits. The house of cards so tirelessly and meticulously placed collapses with a breath.
When all seems lost, peer into the ruins and find there the resolve to begin again the work of rebuilding; no fast-tracked foundation, no microwave successes, no distorted vision that anything or anyone other than God himself can be the anchor for your fragile existence. Face fearlessly the smoldering ashes and count the cost of choosing to lay the solid foundation. Dig deep into the barren wasteland and create an expanse that only Christ should fill with a heavenly strength to endure the impact of a fallen creation.
Becky built her life on this rock. Over the years she relentlessly carried out the slow work of long obedience, bravely declining every chance to get there faster with quick fixes and easy short cuts. When the temptation came she’d remind herself of the words of that old hymn her grandmother used to sing :
‘My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
not wholly leaned on Jesus name.
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.’
And then the storm hit. Cancer, terminal. Her choice to obey did not protect her from the elements, did not make her immune to the colossal force of human suffering. But from the depths of the earth under her feet the reverberations of an ancient and mysterious truth echoed and pulsed through every cavern of her soul: “When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:2–3)
For the joy set before her she would endure this cross and her house would stand firm.
